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College Basketball Thread

Judging by what I've seen so far, that Hansborough kid at UNC might very well win player of the year...

I really don't think Duke has what it takes to win it all this year...

Who does everybody like as the season gets ramped up?

I hate to say it, but I could very well see Florida raising another banner in March.

Originally Posted by Scrap Irony

Calipari is not, nor has he ever been accused or "caught", cheating. He himself turned in one of his players (Camby) for dealing with an agent to get one Final Four overturned. The other is all on the NCAA and Rose. (IF Rose cheated.)

"Cheering for Kentucky is like watching Star Wars and hoping Darth Vader chokes an ewok"

Re: College Basketball Thread

I generally like Florida's team. They are fun to watch. I like Tyler Hansbourough as well. I am really looking forward to seeing Ohio State play once Greg Oden steps on the floor as well.

BTW, what is the deal with the UC players Hall and Hraciunicak(sp)? They didn't play this weekend. Steve Stewart who was calling the game mentioned that the NCAA is set to rule on them soon? What is the rub?

Hugs, smiling, and interactive Twitter accounts, don't mean winning baseball. Until this community understands that we are cursed to relive the madness.

Re: College Basketball Thread

I think Ohio St is at least a year away, and that depends on whether or not Oden decides to stay after his freshman year. I know they have the next Shaquille O'Neal in college basketball, but they are still young. A final four run is possible, but I wouldnt be surprised if they end up facing a senior laden 8 or 9 seed that sends them out early. If everybody stays two years from now, when Oden is a junior and they have Koufus and Diebler there, they will be the odds on favorite, but that is doubtful.

It's going to be Florida's to win, thats for sure.

Originally Posted by savafan

I've read books about sparkling vampires who walk around in the daylight that were written better than a John Fay article.

Re: College Basketball Thread

OSU is highly overrated this year. Oden won't be a big player until late December at the earliest and until he's playing OSU lacks a post proven post presence. I think as long as the team weathers a tough non-conference schedule they should put themselves in good shape for the Big 10 season. OSU and Wisconsin should battle it out for the Big 10 title but Michigan could have a strong year as well.

I think OSU could be scary next year if Oden stays. They have another 7 footer coming in and being able to throw 2 7 footers out there to rotate in and out is awesome.

Re: College Basketball Thread

Originally Posted by Caseyfan21

OSU is highly overrated this year. Oden won't be a big player until late December at the earliest and until he's playing OSU lacks a post proven post presence. I think as long as the team weathers a tough non-conference schedule they should put themselves in good shape for the Big 10 season. OSU and Wisconsin should battle it out for the Big 10 title but Michigan could have a strong year as well.

I think OSU could be scary next year if Oden stays. They have another 7 footer coming in and being able to throw 2 7 footers out there to rotate in and out is awesome.

OSU is overrated as far as being rated 4th in the country. With Oden, I could see them being Top 8. Without him they are a Top 15-20 team. I disagree with most people that say OSU will not be able to compete with better teams because of their youth. Nowadays freshman college basketball players have played so much basketball (AAU) and against other top notch players that coming into college isn't as hard as it use to be.

I will use OSU as an example. I watched all 3 games this past weekend that OSU played. The only freshman on their team that made freshman mistakes was Daequan Cook. He took to many contested jump shots that he use to be able to take in high school and get away with it. On the other end, Mike Conley Jr. looked like he was a senior point guard. Teams were trying to double team him and he simply ran circles around all of them. He might lead the Big Ten in assists this year.

Freshman don't play like freshman anymore. They come in and make significant contributions right away now.

As far as nationally goes, Florida and UNC are a notch above everyone. Wisconsin will be very very good, as will Kansas, Georgetown, and UCLA.

Re: College Basketball Thread

Oden is not staying another year. He is the definition of one and done. Heck, he's already the consensus Number 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, so why stay.

The only way is if this wrist injury keeps him out longer than expected - but still, it won't affect him being drafted number 1, so I think he leaves no matter what

I hear ya, Puff, and I tend to agree...but here's what SI says:

The Ohio State freshman is the biggest thing to hit college basketball in decades. Only the fourth two-time national high school player of the year, the 7-footer has dazzling, game-changing skills at both ends of the court. He's already so good, USA Basketball invited him to hang with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and other NBA stars at its training camp this summer.

But the 18-year-old might not be as eager to join the NBA as everyone thinks, especially with a wrist injury forcing him to miss the first half of the season.

"He wants to experience the college environment, and he still hasn't got to experience that yet," said Mike Conley Jr., one of No. 7 Ohio State's five heralded newcomers and a friend and teammate of Oden's since grade school.

"He still thinks he needs to get better," Conley added.

Besides, Oden likes school. An honors student at Lawrence North, he's majoring in business at Ohio State and wants to be an accountant.

He also relishes being "normal," refusing to get caught up in the hype surrounding him. His wardrobe is more prep than pro -- he showed up at an Indiana Pacers game last year in a polo shirt and jeans, and wore khakis and a brown sweater to Ohio State's first exhibition. And he rarely talks about being a potential No. 1 draft pick, even with his closest friends.

Though Oden has told friends he'd like to stay in school, he also has said he thinks he could play in the NBA after his time at the U.S. team training camp.

"I think he feels a lot more confident about it today than he did eight months ago," Conley Sr. said. "But with his injury and his hand, and coming back, you just never know. You just never know.".

Re: College Basketball Thread

Florida is my early season favorite to win it all this season, though like always there's plenty of teams with the firepower to knock the Gators out and raise a banner. North Carolina and Kansas should be solid, and who knows what will happen in the Big East again this season with the amount of firepower they pack as a conference.

Being a UC fan, it would be a heckuva season for the 'cats to just have an NCAA Tourney appearance.

Re: College Basketball Thread

Oden is not staying another year. He is the definition of one and done. Heck, he's already the consensus Number 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, so why stay.

The only way is if this wrist injury keeps him out longer than expected - but still, it won't affect him being drafted number 1, so I think he leaves no matter what

Who's your source for these facts your spewing. He hasn't played a college game since this article was released, why would he change his mind now.

By Todd Plitt, USA TODAY

Not long after Oden's sophomore season at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis, during the period that led to an unprecedented selection of eight high school players in the first 19 slots of the NBA draft, the speculation, private and persistent, was that Oden would have been Commissioner David Stern's first handshake had he been eligible.

Even as the name of the prospective psychology major is placed atop the mock draft lists, circa 2006, Oden sends a 20th-century message no one seems to hear:

"I know what I want to do," Oden said quietly. "I want to go to college."

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